Eclipse Preview: Sliver Moon And Venus Pair Up At Dawn

The thin, waning moon with earthshine illuminating the remainder will greet skywatchers tomorrow morning in the eastern sky at dawn. Created with Stellarium

We talk so much about the sun in eclipse, it’s easy to forget the moon will be at center stage on Monday. After all, during totality, we won’t see the sun. Instead we’ll be facing the new moon! No sunlight will touch the face of the moon visible from Earth, but from the perspective of someone standing on the moon and looking back, they’d see a Full Earth. Full Earth casts a lot of light, the reason that properly exposed photos of the sun during eclipse actually show details on the moon including the large dark spots called lunar seas.

In this photo showing the sun’s corona during total eclipse, you can see dimly see the face of the moon illuminated by sunlight reflecting off the Earth. Credit: Miloslav Druckmuller / SWNS

Before any of this happens, the moon has one last appointment to keep. Tomorrow morning (Aug. 19), it will shine as a thin, waning crescent about 5° southeast of the planet Venus at dawn. Beautiful! Let it serve as a good omen for all of us hoping for a clear sky — or a least a few well-placed clearings — on eclipse day.

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9 Responses

Justin

Thank you so much for all of the great info. As an amateur to viewing the night sky (but one who is infinitely amazed) I have really learned a lot from your website. You provide excellent information in an easy to understand manner. I’ve thoroughly enjoyed reading your posts and I appreciate the love and dedication that are evident in all of your writings. Thank you for expanding my knowledge and appreciation of the night sky.

Thank you so much for you kind comment, Justin. It makes me happy knowing that the blog has helped you expand your knowledge of the night sky. I love the night, and sharing it with people like you is one of my joys.

Hi this may sound crazy but I read online that the eclipse is gonna reveal the new planet that will hit earth in Oct … I think the mans last name was meade . can u tell me more about why he is saying these things ?

Solar eclipses only happen when the moon comes BETWEEN the sun and the Earth at new moon. When the moon is between the two bodies, it casts a shadow on Earth. It takes two full weeks for the moon to revolve to the other side of Earth and pass through Earth’s shadow. Two weeks past new moon is the full moon, so lunar eclipses only happen at full moon. It takes two weeks for the moon to go from new to full, so nothing happens overnight or on the other side of the world at new moon. Does this help?

You’re welcome, Nickel. I can understand his thinking. He’s right in this sense: the dayside of the Earth sees the eclipse in a daytime sky, while the opposite hemisphere sees the night sky. Night and day are always in opposite hemispheres.